Hit out at Raj Thackeray’s suggestion that those engaging with Pak artistes donate Rs 5 cr to Army welfare fund

On Saturday, Air vice-marshal (retd) in the Indian Air Force, Manmohan Bahadur, tweeted, “Why should the Armed Forces be made part of this extortion? By accepting this money, they would become a ‘receiver’ of tainted money @adgpi.”

Bahadur was airing his views on what was a truce – facilitated by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis – between Maharashtra Navanirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and producer-director Karan Johar. The terms of this truce include the understanding that anyone in Bollywood working with Pakistani artistes would donate Rs 5 crore to the Army Welfare Fund.

Various groups had been threatening that Johar’s film Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, slated for an October 28 release, might face attacks and violence for casting Pakistani actor Fawad Khan.

Thackeray, according to ndtv.com, suggested the release of the movie not be blocked after a group of film producers assured they would not work with Pakistani actors in future and would pay Rs 5 crore as “penance” for army welfare, if they did. The website further adds that the Cinema Owners’ and Exhibitors Association — which has mostly single-screen theatres from Gujarat, Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra as its members — refused to budge and will not release the film as it starred Fawad Khan.

--------- Advertisement ---------
------------------

Some media reports on Saturday quoted producers’ guild president Mukesh Bhatt, who was accompanying Karan Johar, as saying: “We had a constructive meeting. We shared emotions of the industry. For us, India comes first. I have assured the chief minister that… we’ll not work with Pakistani actors.”

According to the ndtv.com report, the condition would also apply to the yet-to-be-released Shah Rukh Khan-starrer movies Raees and Dear Zindagi, which have Pakistani artistes Mahira Khan and Ali Zafar, respectively.

--------- Advertisement ---------
------------------

Several army men expressed their disappointment on politicisation of the situation and dragging of the Army into it. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, former northern army commander, Lieutenant General BS Jaswal said: “The army doesn’t go around begging for funds. If a film producer wants to donate, he can do it like any other Indian citizen. But it’s unacceptable in such a manner.”

According to HT, Kargil war hero Brigadier Khushal Thakur (retd) said national sentiments should not be exploited like this. He was quoted as saying: “If something is wrong, it is wrong. How can a forced donation of Rs 5 crore make it right? But the bottom line is the Army’s name should not be misused for political gains.”

Ae Dil Hai Mushkil had landed into trouble for casting Fawad Khan after the September 19 terror attack on an army base camp in Uri, Jammu & Kashmir. The Indian government suspects the attack was executed by the members of Jaish-e-Mohammad, one of the several terrorist organisations allegedly operating out of Pakistan. The same terror outfit was also believed to be behind the Pathankot terror attack on January 2, 2016.

--------- Advertisement ---------
------------------

A series of terror strikes vitiated the general sentiment against Pakistan, and many social and political groups, especially the right-wing ones like the MNS, took to attacking Pakistani artistes working in India. The MNS threatened to block the films with Pakistani artistes in it and said its members would not hesitate to vandalise movie halls screening such films.

Earlier, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had even assured the team of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil that there would be no law-and-order issues and the government would provide protection, if necessary.